ARAAT3: The Forbidden Experiment

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A Rose And A Thorn 3: The Forbidden Experiment

Co-Written by Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: I KNOW CrazyIvan’s saying something important. I just can’t understand it. Froggy?

Froggy: Nope, it’s all Double Dutch to me, too.

Harley: Oh, well, BZLF has certainly been paying attention to the Chaos Emeralds. Don’t worry, we’re doing something with them. And he’s one of the first to review, every chapter.

Froggy: Well, people, this is the last ‘happy’ chapter. After this everything gets all miserable and violent.

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Chapter Twelve: Making Up

Mirage woke slowly as the sunlight streamed onto her face. She blinked the sleep away. She felt as if she'd slept forever. Maybe even longer. She sat up in the bed - wait, bed? She'd passed out before... she shook her head, "Damn..." she muttered, looking around the room. Everything was flooding back to her, everything she'd done in the last... whatever. And she didn't regret it but she shouldn't have done that sort of thing in front of Espio... "Espio?" she called out, swinging her legs out of bed and pulling the sheet around herself.

"In here,” his calm voice called out from the other room. He was sitting in the middle of the floor, meditating on recent events.

Mirage went into the kitchen and looked down at Espio. After a few seconds, she sat down behind him, "So, how long was I out?" she asked him.

"About a day, a day and a half,” he replied, opening his amber eyes and turning to focus them on hers, "You must have really exhausted yourself."

"I would have been fine if I had not needed to protect you too," Mirage replied, "Listen... when I said... well, I am sorry..." She put a hand on his shoulder, "Okay?"

The chameleon slowly nodded his head, his eyes never leaving hers, "Okay. And I'm sorry if I was a little... rough with you back there."

"Meh, it did not hurt," Mirage replied, "It was stupid of me to run. Fighting you was even more so stupid. I... I could not have won... not without hurting you really badly... I did not want to hurt you... I still do not."

"It's ok,” he insisted, "Asides from a few bruises, I'm fine. I'm not too happy about what you did to those soldiers. But I can understand why you did it."

"You... understand?" Mirage looked nothing short of amazed.

"Desire for revenge is easy to understand if you've ever been angry,” he said casually, "You just don't want to indulge in that behaviour. If you become the enemy in order to destroy them, that isn't a victory. Remember that."

Mirage tried to wrap her brain around this complicated statement, "Okay," she said, though she didn't think he understood at all. It wasn’t revenge. Their deaths had been necessary. She frowned, not liking that Espio might have taken it as revenge, "I would like you to know how I feel..." she said hesitantly, and then ground to a halt right there, "Sorry. It is like a song, you know? You know the words but you cannot remember how the tune goes."

"I understand,” he replied, smiling faintly, "You haven't had much experience with people."

"Yeah," Mirage stood up, "Fu'sht, I have got dictionaries and thesauri in my head but... Cannot get the words right..." she muttered, turning away.

Espio slowly got to his own feet, stretching out, "Well, try to describe it to me; maybe I can help. Remember that words are only a fraction of communication. You can tell someone a lot without them."

Mirage squirmed, holding the sheet around herself, but didn't turn to face Espio, "It is... it is a warm feeling," she said softly, "Like... I am safe. I should not feel safe but I do. And I feel... like I would do anything... leap over mountains, swim up waterfalls... Warm and safe... around you. And... I do not want you to get hurt. I... I do not know what I feel or why I feel it..."

Espio took a slow, deep breath as he thought about her words, his pulse quickening of its own volition. He walked up behind the feline and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I could be wrong,” he said quietly, "But that sounds like love to me."

"Love?" Mirage sounded more confused than ever, "A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; kindness or devotion to another... It always sounded... cold, to me," she said quietly.

"It's one of those things that words can't fully describe,” Espio explained, resting his chin on her shoulder, "It’s something you can only understand if you've felt it before."

"I... do not remember if I have," Mirage answered. She turned back to Espio and buried her face in his chest, one hand holding the sheet up, the other around his waist.

Espio hugged her to his chest and rested his cheek on her head, "Love isn't something I've allowed myself to feel in a long time,” he said, "Then I met you."

Mirage stiffened up, "You feel it too?" she asked him, looking up and into his eyes.

Espio looked back and swallowed nervously, "Yes... yes, I do. I realized it the morning of our fight..."

"But then we... I tried to... you really..." Mirage's mouth was hanging open.

Espio nodded, "And that's exactly why I know. Because of how much it hurt me to have to fight you."

"I am so sorry..." Mirage whispered, "I..." The hand that had been holding the sheet around her moved to touch Espio's cheek. The sheet remained around her because they were pressed so closely together, but started to slip open at the back.

Espio frowned, his hands leaving her back to cup her face, "It's okay..." he whispered.

Mirage blinked, "I never... never meant to hurt you," she told him, the tears still running down her face, "I never... just wanted to stop you... did not mean to..."

"I know,” he whispered, "And I forgive you." The chameleon leaned in and lightly kissed her lips. "...Just don't do it again, please."

Mirage couldn't bear to answer, in case it might become a lie. She moved her hands over Espio's face, and then returned his kiss. As she broke it, she whispered softly, her voice shaking, "I... love you..."

"And I love you, Mirage,” was his reply. He couldn't remember the last time he had dared to really love anyone. Maybe it was a dream; maybe he never had. But now, ready or not, he did.

Mirage kissed Espio again as she heard those words, and there was sheer desperation in the way her lips moved against his, while Espio stroked her and returned the kiss with equal need and passion, tossing away his usual restraint. This wasn't the time to hold back his feelings.

Mirage whimpered softly, and allowed her hands to do as they pleased. Right now, they wanted to touch as much of Espio as possible.

Espio pulled his lips away from hers and stood back just a moment, letting the sheet drop. He looked her body over with a small smile. Perhaps Mirage didn’t have the curves of a poster cat, but she was beautiful to him. He pulled her to him again and kissed her passionately, his tongue probing her mouth, and dragging off his gloves, wanting to feel his fingers sliding down through her quills, his hands rubbing her sides, and his fingers pressing against her breasts.

Mirage gasped as the sheet fell to the floor. Part of her wanted to snatch it up again. But she didn't, allowing herself to be pulled closer to Espio than ever. As his long tongue entered her mouth, she licked it slowly, her fingers prying at his shoulders.

Espio hummed quietly into the kiss, relief and warmth flooding his body. To just let go and enjoy life was a luxury he rarely indulged in, but he readily did so now, kissing the feline as if his life depended on it. His hands ran down her sides, and he stroked the soft fur of her belly as their mouths duelled.

Each time Mirage opened her mouth to moan in gratification, she found it assailed by another kiss from Espio. Gasping for breath, her hands ran over his chest and to his hips as the warm, heavy feeling pooled in her belly.

Espio finally released Mirage from his kisses as he leaned down and scooped her up into his arms, smiling down at her. He carried her back into the bedroom, where he gently set her down.

"Espio... I love you," Mirage murmured. She sounded more certain than before, as she sat on her knees and kissed him again.

Espio crawled onto the bed with her and returned the kiss, softer, more gentle than before. "And I love you too,” he repeated, wrapping his arms around her. He let himself fall towards the bed, pulling her with him.

Mirage suddenly pushed him away, very gently, "Espio," she said, and her eyes had a mischievous sparkle to them. She leant forward, her head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Claim me. Forever. Make me yours. Make me want you. Make me beg. I want to beg..."

"Really?" he asked quietly as he shifted on the bed to face her. He was silent for a moment, looking into her crimson eyes. But then a positively dangerous looking grin crossed his face as he understood, "Oh, I can make you beg..." Unexpectedly and lightning-fast, he sprung forward and pinned her to the bed. His face was a good foot away from hers, but even from there, his tongue snaked out slowly to lick the tip of her nose.

Mirage began to purr loudly, enjoying the feeling of being utterly helpless beneath Espio. But this was another challenge of sorts. And she knew she would lose, but she'd be damned if she was going to make it easy for him to win.

Espio stayed there, propped up on one arm as his other hand reached up to caress her cheek, slid down over her neck and breasts, and rubbed her belly in slow circles, the rest of his body remaining perfectly motionless in the way that only a reptile could pull off. As he rubbed the feline's belly, his tail moved, curling around him to slide across her stomach and up between her breasts, curling lightly around her throat, the tip of it twitching and rubbing just under her chin.

Mirage whimpered as she felt Espio caress her in two places at once, but despite the enjoyment, spoke, "Is that the best you can do, Espio?" she whispered.

"Patience, my sweet,” he whispered back, his voice low and deep, "I've barely even begun." He leaned down, facing her chest, and his long tongue slipped out again, licking slowly against her breasts.

"Oh... mmm..." Mirage writhed again. Oh, this was... oh, there were no words, but this was how she liked it. Pinned down to the bed and helpless, there was, in theory at least, nothing she could do to stop Espio from doing whatever he wanted. Of course she could beat him off at any moment. She just didn’t feel like it right now.

Espio's tail left Mirage's throat, and the tip of it slid down her back, tracing her spine. The chameleon continued his assault on her breasts, his long, thin tongue swirling around her nipples teasingly.

Mirage's purring grew louder as Espio's wet tongue left her fur flat against her skin. Her claws slid out silently and dug some way into the mattress beneath her, as her breathing sped up by degrees.

As Espio licked her and rubbed her back with his tail, his hand left her belly and slid lower, rubbing the palm of his hand firmly against her slit, "Had enough of this yet?" he asked with a wicked smirk.

"Oh, no," Mirage breathed, "You will have to do much more than that..." Her tail flicked out from under her, and the very tip of it caressed Espio's belly.

Espio's amber eyes half-closed, and the chameleon nodded slowly, the tip of his own tail sharply sliding up her back to tickle the back of her neck, "So be it,” he said quietly before lowering his head to her chest and sucking on her breasts slowly, his arms wrapped around her and his tail still teasing the back of her neck.

Mirage continued to stroke at Espio's belly slowly with her tail. It wasn't as versatile as his own, but it was very soft and fluffy.

Espio hummed in pleasure against her chest, enjoying the feel of her soft tail against his skin. But the challenge was for him to pleasure her, not the other way around. His mouth left her breasts, and the chameleon slid up her body, his firm, scaled body sliding against her damp fur. His mouth latched onto her throat, suckling and licking it as his hands slid up her back and stroked her shoulders and the back of her neck.

Somewhere in the very back of Mirage's mind, a little voice was trying to point out that quite apart from the fact that she was a horrible, flat-chested freak, Espio was a reptile, and they shouldn't be even attracted to each other, let alone doing this together. It went completely unheeded. She slid her body down a little, and pressed her lips against his.

Espio accepted the kiss, deepening it and pressing himself closer to the feline. His hands slid higher and scratched her ears as his tail slid lower, rubbing her rear and the base of her tail.

Mirage reached out for him and rubbed his sides slowly, feeling the sunlight streaming down on the both of them, his skin cool under her sweating hands, and their bodies pressed so close together. The whole thing was intoxicating.

For the normally calm, disciplined Espio, this was a taste of pure heaven, the freedom to unchain his passions with the half-feline he had come to love. If he’d really thought about it, he'd realize how ridiculous the whole situation was, but he couldn’t. He broke the kiss and flicked his long tongue against her lips and nose before closing his mouth around the edge of one of her ears, biting it gently. His tail wrapped around her waist, and his arms around her body as he lightly bucked his hips against hers, sliding his hardening shaft against her slit as he gave a soft, pleased hum into her ear.

Mirage moaned again in pleasure, but her tail slid between her legs, gently shielding her from Espio's cock. Instead of her slit, he found himself rubbing up against thick fur. Whatever they wanted - and right now, it was all she wanted - she wanted it to last as long as ever it could.

Espio chuckled slightly at her resistance and looked down into her eyes for a moment before licking her other ear. His tail curled around hers and pulled it away, rhythmically squeezing and loosening around it. His hard member pressed against her slit, but he made it lie still, its warmth and thickness resting against her.

"Hmmm... you are... good with your tongue, Espio," Mirage writhed beneath him, her tail rubbing up against his, her heart racing as she tried to maintain a steady voice.

"Oh, I could do more with it..." he whispered as he moved his hips against hers and flicked his tongue against her cheek, "But you're going to have to ask very nicely if you want it..."

"Oh, you can do anything you want with me," Mirage kissed him deeply, for quite some time, but finally broke it and whispered in his ear, "Anything..."

"I know I can,” he whispered after the kiss, giving her lips a quick lick. He smiled wickedly and gave her tail another squeeze, "But how much do you want it, Mirage?"

Mirage slid her furry foot between Espio's legs, and used it to rub at his crotch gently, "Considerably," she breathed.

Espio rubbed his groin against her foot and whispered, "I didn't quite hear that..."

"Yes," Mirage repeated, a little annoyed at even half-begging, "You can do... exactly what you want."

"Weakest begging I ever heard,” he whispered before giving her lips a quick kiss, "I'm not convinced." His fingers stroked her slit gently, and she writhed in pleasure.

"Espio… please… please claim me…” she moaned.

The chameleon grinned, "I’ll think about it..." he said, still stroking her.

Mirage moaned again, “Oh please, Espio… lick me until I scream!”

Showing mercy, Espio slid down her body slowly until he was facing her groin. His tongue slipped out and lapped slowly against her slit. A slow smile spread over Mirage's face, and she pressed her head back against the mattress hard with a low moan. Espio smiled and flicked the tip inside just slightly, teasing her. His tongue moved over the length of the opening, picking up her taste, which he found himself enjoying.

Mirage squealed with sudden pleasure, and her hips bucked. Ever since their first time together, she had privately wondered what it might feel like to have Espio's long, thin tongue not just in her mouth, or on her fur, but deep inside her, "That is good..." she moaned, clutching at the bed.

Espio chuckled, hearing her moans, "Are you kidding me?" he asked softly, "That was just the teaser..." Then the chameleon gave her clit a swift lick before placing his mouth over her opening and sliding his long, thin tongue all the way inside her.

This time Mirage gave a wail of pleasure - although it could have been mistaken for the sound of a washing machine that had been used as a dishwasher - and squirmed desperately beneath Espio, starting to sit up.

Espio pinned her arms gently to the bed as he slipped his tongue within her, rhythmically lapping at her walls. He hummed against her, the vibration adding to the pleasure, and he sucked gently on the edges of her opening.

"Oh... deeper... you can go deeper..." Mirage half-moaned and half-begged, as the heavy, warm feeling in her belly sank lower. Humming louder, the chameleon pressed his tongue in deeper, filling her insides and stretching her out within, "Oh... gods... oh... Espi... oh!" she cried out. This was more than making up for the sheer agony of the first time. Espio's tongue was soft and warm and long enough to go all the way inside her. She was lubing up inside at the feeling of it.

Espio swirled his tongue faster within her, enjoying the taste of her juices as he pleasured her. His hand moved up against the base of her tail and slowly rubbed it as his own tail again slid up along her back.

Mirage gasped for breath, her chest heaving, and wailed again, entrenched in a most delicious torture. She couldn't even speak any more, only cry out in pleasure.

Espio swirled his tongue again, and then he closed his mouth tightly around her vagina, sucking on it. His hand moved to her belly again, sliding his fingers through her fur.

Mirage let out a scream, "Oh, Espio, PLEASE!" she shrieked in desperation. Espio sucked and licked feverishly, determined to push her over the edge into ecstasy, "Espio, stop, please... stop..." Mirage wailed, but it didn't really sound like she meant it. This was confirmed by her next wail, "PLEASE stop MAKING me BEG!"

Espio continued to lap at her insides, urging her towards her climax. Mirage's voice, which was normally a low, lazy monotone, had risen to a series of frantic shrieks, half of them his name, the other half of them feline curses. He smiled as he pulled away and looked down at the feline writhing in pleasure and cursing in her own language. He crawled up her body, burying his face in the fur of her throat, positioning his hard cock at her opening.

"Oh, yes..." Mirage panted, her body shaking, "Oh yes... oh please... oh, Espio..."

The chameleon dug his toes into the bed beneath them and thrust his way inside her, groaning in relief and pleasure as he entered her. His tail curled around her waist, and his hands gripping her sides, shaking and holding her tightly.

Mirage wailed again in pleasure. There was barely any pain this time. As Espio sank into her, she shifted so that her legs were braced against the bed. With some effort, she managed to raise her hips off the bed, even with Espio's heavier body on top of hers.

Espio moaned her name quietly as he thrust within her, the pleasure overwhelming him. Closing his eyes tightly, he started out slow, but soon built up speed, moving inside her with a rising intensity, "Nnngh! Oh, Mirage..."

Mirage began to wail again, but more softly than when Espio had been lapping at her insides. This time she was gasping in rhythm to his thrusts. After two failed efforts, she sat up enough to press her lips to his, kissing him rapidly, tasting herself on his lips.

Espio pressed back, kissing her hungrily, with years of pent-up passion and love waiting to be freed. His hips moved faster against her, his desire fuelled by the pleasure shared between them.

Mirage's eyes closed, but her lips never left Espio's mouth for a moment now, even in the unfortunately necessary pauses when they had to breathe. And as sweat trickled down her body, she wrapped her arms around his waist, her legs spread wide, all but sitting up as they pressed against each other. She could feel the climax building up inside of her, breathing so hard she was almost screaming.

Espio pressed himself closely to the feline and grunted in time with his thrusts, feeling a deep warmth pool in his groin as he got ever closer to his point of orgasm, "Mirage…" he moaned again.

Mirage broke the kiss and started to shriek in pleasure. He had given her pleasure, and she was eager to return the favour. They were almost fighting now, each wanting to be the one to press hardest against the other.

Espio knew he was soon going to join Mirage in that rush of pleasure soon, but he was determined to fight it as long as he could, "Ah! Mirage! Oh..." His hips thrust against hers frantically, feverishly.

Each breath Mirage took was a frantic groan by now, and her hands were all over the chameleon, "Esp… Espio!" she squealed, as the sweat trickled slowly down her forehead, body and quills. Reptiles didn't sweat, but it was rubbing off on Espio, making his body slippery, and heightening her desire, if such a thing could be possible by now, “Espio… gods, you… oh, harder!”

Espio moved against her harder and faster, his slick scales rubbing against her. His breathing was a rasping gasp and his heart hammered against his chest. He cried out her name one more time and then his body tensed up as he climaxed, clutching her against him.

Mirage wailed Espio's name again as she felt him cum inside her, still shuddering with her own climax, clinging to him tightly. After several seconds had passed, she felt his limp cock slip out of her, and they both relaxed slightly. She looked up into his amber eyes and opened her mouth to speak, her body shaking, but no words came out. Still shaking and breathing hard, she slumped against him.

Espio rolled to her side and held the feline against his chest, his breathing slowing, and he slowly ran his fingers through her quills. He remained silent, looking down into her eyes with a faint smile. She lay back slowly, pulling Espio down so that he was lying half-on-top of her. She smiled wearily, and kissed him. He returned the kiss softly, running one hand across her cheek. Ending it, he smiled again and whispered, "How was that, my sweet?"

Mirage nuzzled at his cheek, purring quietly. It was hard to believe that it was only the middle of the day - she felt absolutely shattered all over again, "Most enjoyable," she murmured, still shaking, "We must... do it again. Soon."

"I agree,” he replied, nuzzling the feline back. He added quietly, "I love you."

"Hmmm... and I love you also," Mirage sighed deeply in general satisfaction. Once again the thought that what they had just done together was not entirely right tried to make a stand in her mind. It didn't stand a chance when she could feel Espio's arms around her and his warm breath on her neck.

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Harley: Well, that was fun.

Froggy: I’ll say.

Espio/Mirage: Agreed.

Harley: Now Read and Review, my friends.